Awakening by Elene Sallinger

Grade: B+
Hotness Level: Inferno
Kink Level: Moderate Kink
Genre: Contemporary, BDSM
Published: 11/5/13Reviewed by Kate

224 pages

Evan, local bookshop owner, lost his wife/submissive to cancer 10 years ago. He was so in love with his wife that he can't imagine loving anyone else. Claire is slowly entering the land of the living again after 1 year of self-imposed isolation following the breakup of her marriage. Her first adventure is to attend a book club meeting at Evan's bookshop. Evan's physical reaction to Claire is strong, but definitely unwanted. Then he overhears a conversation between Claire and a friend. He realizes Claire knows nothing about BDSM, but it may be exactly what she needs. What's a Dom to do?

Here's the thing, Evan's an ass. He really is. The way he deals with his attraction to Claire is avoidance. In fact for the first 1/3 of the book, Evan and Claire barely talk. But he's written in such a way that I completely got the ass-ishness and was okay with it.

Elene Sallinger has written strong characters with compelling stories. There is a unique tone to this story. A gradual build-up to a relationship here, rather than a 'first meeting equals first scene' pace that is usually seen in BDSM novels. I look forward to reading more from her in the future.

A special note: References to Yoda and Harry Potter had my inner geek doing a happy dance!